The Blue Zones diet is awesome – except for one unfortunate flaw
Find out if a plant-based diet, daily activity, and community involvement can help you achieve a longer, healthier life
If you want bigger, stronger muscles, lifting weights is a good place to start—but your diet makes a huge impact on your gains, too. That’s where protein comes in: the essential macronutrient helps repair the tiny tears strength training creates in your muscles, helping them grow faster.
But while loading up on eggs at breakfast and chowing down on hunks of chicken at lunch and dinner can definitely help, spacing out your protein is equally important. That’s where snacking comes in.
“Since our body can only use about 25 to 30 grams of protein at a time, dosing it throughout the day into several meals and snacks paired with fibre-containing carbs and healthy fats is your best bet towards optimally utilising nutrients,” says certified exercise physiologist Jim White, R.D., owner of Jim White Fitness and Nutrition Studios in Virginia Beach.
Snacking also helps you feel fuller for longer, explains Marie Spano, M.S., R.D., C.S.C.S., sports nutritionist for the Atlanta Hawks. This will prevent you from overindulging during your bigger meals, she adds. That doesn’t necessarily mean you can snack on whatever you want, whenever you want. Aim for 200 to 300 calories and 10 to 20 grams of protein per snack.
Both Spano and White agree that two to three snacks a day hits the sweet spot without overdoing it. “Try a snack between breakfast and lunch, and between lunch and dinner,” Spano suggests.
So what the heck should you munch on? There are plenty of options that don’t include protein bars (even though we love them). Here are seven smart snacks that help you build muscle. Say hello to the gainz.
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